Talks
by iPreferTrashPanda
Summary: Delia and Giovanni decide to go steady, just in time for Ash to come home. How will Delia's relationship with her son be affected by her relationship with her now-official boyfriend? COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Laying fully clothed on her bed, Delia looked at the man, her lover of the past few months. She leaned over and kissed his lips.

He hummed, smiling against her lips. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Delia said, reaching up to touch his cheek. "You should come around more often." She suggested, resting her forehead against his.

A laugh left him. "Do you think your boy would be okay with us?"

"Giovanni.." Delia raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Ash would love you, if he met you." She said sincerely.

Giovanni sighed, pulling away. "I.. I don't know." He sat up from the bed. "Maybe he will, maybe he won't."

He had told her everything, all within days of their first meeting months ago. His disbanding organization, his diving back into being a full time gym leader, and his desire for love.

And likewise she had told him everything as well. Studying under Professor Oak when she was a teenager, owning a restaurant, sometime later she had Ash and raised him by herself, and how she was looking for love now too.

That last one was how this all started. Both of them looking for love, and they found it in each other.

"You've changed, Giovanni." Delia sat up, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I didn't know you before but-"

"Exactly, you didn't know who I was before. You'd never forgive me, or yourself, if you knew who I was." Giovanni looked at her, his grey eyes filled with remorse and pain.

Delia gripped his shoulder. "But I know you now, Giovanni. You're a different person, a better person, that who you used to be." She smiled, leaning over and kissing his lips.

Giovanni pulled back. "Thanks Delia." He put a hand on hers. "I.. I have something I wanted to ask you."

Delia tilted her head slightly in curiousity. "What is it?"

"I was wondering.. D- do you want us to officially be together?" He was nervous and fumbling over his words because of it.

Delia took a moment to think. Officially being together with Giovanni, that would be something new. Something that they could experience together.

"Yes, I'd like that." Delia said, smiling at him.

Several months later, the two were sitting in Delia's kitchen, talking over a few cups of coffee.

"So they actually did that then?" She asked, picking up a berry filled muffin from the basket Giovanni's elderly mother sent along with him.

Giovanni nodded. "Yeah, they did. And so now the gym is closed for renovations."

The 'they' that the two were referring to was his most recent gym challenge. The vicious trainer won, his Electrode using Self Destuct near a faulty gas main that one of his Pokemon - a Scyther- had made sure to damage earlier in the fight.

The gym had exploded and then caught on fire. After getting the unconscious referee out of the burning building, Giovanni was sporting a bandaged burn on his hand as well as a few bruises. He wouldn't have given the trainer the badge if he had a choice, but sadly a win was a win.

So now the referee was in the hospital with a concussion and everyone who worked at the gym were all temporarily unemployed but still receiving compensation while the building was being repaired and rebuilt- all at the Pokemon league's expense.

Delia nodded in understanding. "Well, your more than welcome to stay here until the gym is fixed."

A smile crossed Giovanni's face as his Persian, whose side was bandaged after the fire, butted his head against Delia for attention. "I think I will, and that's the first time Persian has demanded attention from anyone other than me."

Delia was all too happy to give it to the cat, gently petting it's head. "I don't mind.

"Do you know when Ash is coming home?" Giovanni asked. "I think I'd like to meet him now."

Delia looked over at him again. "I don't know. He usually comes home long enough to spend a few days with his friends before he's off again."

The front door suddenly opened. "Hey mom! I'm home!"

"Pipipi!"

Delia smiled. "There they are." She stood up, Persian standing off to the side, and walked over to him. "Come on, you'll do great." She assured him, holding his hand.

"I know." Giovanni said, standing up.

"I'm coming dear." Delia called, leading Giovanni and Persian to the front room where they could already hear Ash talking excitedly to Mr. Mime about his most recent adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

" _I'm coming dear." Delia called, leading Giovanni and Persian to the front room where they could already hear Ash talking excitedly to Mr. Mime about his most recent adventure_.

* * *

Ash rambled about the adventure he and his companions had had, a book in his hand. "And then, we met a Lugia and it's baby! It was so small comapred to the bigger Lugia! See?" He held out a sketchbook, to a page that he had done from memory, showing the sizes of the two pokemon.

Mr. Mime nodded in approval, giving a happy smile. It did look cute.

"Yeah! I even showed Professor Oak and he said that it was extraordinary!" Ash was excited as he handed the book to Mr. Mime. "You can look through it and see everything we did." Pikachu was making delighted noises as well, waving it's paws to better explain to Mr. Mime as the mime flipped through the book.

Ash saw his mother and ran to her. "Mom!" He called in excitement, hugging her close.

"Ash, hi honey!" She hugged him with one arm and kissed his forehead.

"I filled up another book!" He said excitedly, finally deciding to draw out things from his journeys so his mother and Mr. Mime could see some of what he did.

"I'll look at it later honey," she promised, letting go of him. "I want you to meet someone-"

"Mom! That's Team Rocket's Boss!" Ash pulled his mother behind him as soon as he saw Giovanni, pulling a pokeball from his belt.

Pikachu, noticing the change in Ash's voice, leaped from Mr. Mime's shoulder onto Ash's and then onto the floor between Boss Rocket and his trainer with his cheeks sparking. "Pika.." He growled, his eyes focused on the Persian.

However, the Persian seemed very uninterested in battling. It simply walked over and around Pikachu, and then Ash, before sitting next Delia.

"Ash," Delia looked at her son as she absentmindedly began to pet Persian, "this is Giovanni Rocket. He isn't Team Rocket's Boss any more. He's now the full time Viridian gym leader." She explained, Ash not lowering the pokeball. In fact he almost threw it.

"And my boyfriend." The only reaction from Ash was to drop the pokeball, releasing Totodile, in shock. It was so shocking that Pikachu literally shocked itself as though it were a Pichu.

"What?" Ash asked, looking from his mother to Boss Rocket. He seemed to be very confused, not processing this well. "What?" He asked again, settling on his mother again.

"It's true." Giovanni said, pulling a paralyze heal from his pocket and kneeling down to the flinching Pikachu.

"Hey!" Ash moved over to him, to get Pikachu away from him.

"Easy." Giovanni said, to both Ash and Pikachu, as he sprayed the Pokemon with the paralyze heal.

Soon Pikachu stopped flinching from the affects of it's self-shocking, only to flinch when a large hand rested on it's head and began to stroke behind it's ear. "Chu~" it purred, leaning against the contact.

Ash grabbed Pikachu away from the man, turning him to and fro, checking for any injuries. "Are you okay buddy?"

Pikachu nodded, jumping onto Ash's shoulder. "Pika-pi. Pi pi pi."

"What?" Ash asked, looking to Pikachu as he waved a paw at Giovanni. "But Pikachu, that's Boss Rocket- the guy in charge of Jessie, James and Meowth, the three who have been trying to kidnap you-"

"Oh, so this is the famed Powerful Pikachu?" Giovanni looked at Pikachu with a smile. "It is cute, but if I would have known they were wasting so much of my time and even more of my money trying to take this adorable thing, I would have fired them a long time ago." He stood up.

Ash turned to his mother. "See?!"

Pikachu and Totodile turned to Persian and started talking to it, trying to grasp the situation- well Pikachu did and Totodile just listened. The cat seemed to explain, with a yawn, the answers to Pikachu's questions in a satisfactory manner.

"Honey, Giovanni isn't like that anymore. He's changed." Delia said, putting a hand on Ash's shoulder. "I know you don't like him and you don't trust him, but you trust me, right?" She smiled softly at him.

Ash groaned. He did trust her, but he wasn't comfortable with Rocket in his home. "I do trust you, mom. I just.. I don't want you to get hurt."

Delia smiled, hugging Ash. "I know honey. Thank you.."

Ash hugged her before letting go and turning to Giovanni. "If you try anything, you'll be blasting off faster than Jessie, James and Meowth."

He looked to his Pokemon. "Come on guys, let's go see the professor." He took his sketch book from Mr. Mime before the three left.

Delia smiled. "Well, that was.. exciting."

Giovanni nodded, moving over to Delia and taking her hand. "It could have gone a lot better though." He admitted as Persian lay down with a yawn.

Twenty minutes later, Pikachu came rushing back in, actually jumping in through the window with enough force to break it, with Ash's hat in his mouth. It dropped it before making distressed noises, begging for help. Ash was in trouble!


	3. Chapter 3

_**I've been sitting on this for weeks. No excuses, just.. Meh. Without further ado:**_

* * *

Ash walked, first to Oak's lab long enough to drop off Totodile and his other Pokemon as well as his sketchbook for evaluation, before he and Pikachu went down the old familiar path of Route One. "Remember this place pal?" Ash asked, remembering their first adventure together.

Pikachu nodded, walking beside him. He suddenly stood up, his ears perked. He then turned to the left and looked up. "Chu!" He cried out, catching Ash's attention.

It was the Spearow Flock again. "Pikachu run!" They started running as the flock caught sight of them and dove in for an assault, some birds flying past them. They were cornered, stopping in their tracks.

"Not again." Ash said as he got a good look at the flock, some were Fearow now with many more Spearow included. No wonder he hadn't seen any Pidgey or Rattata.

The countless birds began to kick up dirt and fly around to make it blind them before flying in for the attack. They pecked and scratched at them, moving too fast for them to do anything.

Ash covered Pikachu, suffering most of the assault. "Pikachu, go get help. Hurry!" He said, knowing Pikachu was faster than him.

The mouse nodded, reluctant to leave Ash but knowing it was the only way they would get out of this. He grabbed Ash's hat from his head and ran back to the Ketchum house. He knew time was limited, and that Ash needed help, so Giovanni seemed like the better option.

He saw a window on the house partially open, so he jumped at it. Unfortunately he misjudged the strength of his jump, and crashed through it. Breaking it, but he didn't care.

He dropped his hat and started to make noises of distress, trying to convey that Ash was in touble.

"Where is he?" Giovanni asked, grabbing a few pokeballs from the table as he understood right away what was going on.

* * *

The two ran back to Route One where Giovanni saw the Swarm.

"Dammit." He swore, throwing a pokeball up. "Nidoqueen!" Up flew another. "Nidoking!" He had to think fast.

"Thunder Punch, knock out those birds!" He threw a few more. "Rhydon! Ice Punch! Rhyhorn, use Dig." He jumped on the back of the Pokemon as it dug into the ground. His other Pokemon as well as Pikachu kept trying to knock the bird flock down while they rescued Ash.

A tunnel was carved leading under Ash, and dug up under him. He fell down the hole into Giovanni's hold. He was weak, his eyes barely open, from the assualt.

"Go! Go!" Giovanni held Ash as the rhino Pokemon left the tunnel through the entrance. When they reached the surface, the flock was gone. He called back his Pokemon quickly as Pikachu jumped onto Rhyhorn. "Rhyhorn, run home!"

* * *

Delia looked surprised to see Giovanni and Ash on the back of his Pokemon running to the house. Giovanni jumped off of the rhino with Ash in his arms as Pikachu followed, rushing into the house.

"Call my residence, have them send over my Chansey." He said, setting Ash on the couch. He heard Delia using the video phone, but focused on Ash. "Come on kid, your stronger than this."

The pokeball was sent straight away, and soon Chansey was tending to Ash, who had been moved to his room. He was bandaged, though thanks to Chansey he wouldn't need them long, and asleep by the end of it.

* * *

"He'll be okay, Del." Giovanni said, now sitting with Delia on the back porch as Chansey remained with Ash.

Delia nodded. "I- I know. I'm just so worried. He told me about the first time that flock ran them down." She never forgot seeing Ash with all of those burns and scratches from the encounter, even through the monitor she could tell he was hurting.

Giovanni pulled her close. "He'll make it." He kissed her cheek. "Trust me, everything will be okay."

She looked from him to his Pokemon, many of whom were standing around, wanting to see that Ash was okay. Pikachu was on her lap and Persian was at their feet, waiting as the air was thick with anxiety.

"I hope so." She said, leaning into him as she held Pikachu tighter in nervousness. "I really hope so."


	4. Chapter 4

_Giovanni pulled her close. "He'll make it." He kissed her cheek. "Trust me, everything will be okay."_

 _She looked from him to his Pokemon, many of whom were standing around, wanting to see that Ash was okay. Pikachu was on her lap and Persian was at their feet, waiting as the air was thick with anxiety._

 _"I hope so." She said, leaning into him as she held Pikachu tighter in nervousness. "I really hope so."_

* * *

Ash groaned painfully. "Ugh..." His blurry vision settled on the ceiling of his room as it came into focus.

Chaney made a happy noise as she saw her patient was awake. "Chansey! Chansey!" It called, alerting everyone to Ash being awake.

In a flash, a flurry of movement was heard coming up the stairs and suddenly Delia and Pikachu were laying on him.

"Pipipi! Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu cried, tears running down it's face.

"My boy! Don't you ever scare me like that again young man!" Delia cried at the same time as Pikachu.

Ash cried out in pain, his mother and starter aggravating his wounds. "Guys! I'm sorry but your hurting me!"

Delia and Pikachu backed off as they were moved away from him by Chansey. The two of them were being scolded by the pink Pokemon. They were let off of the hook as Chansey went back to tending to Ash, talking as it checked his bandages and other wounds.

Ash looked over to see Giovanni standing in the doorway.

"Hey. Thank you for saving me." Ash said, hissing in pain when Chansey pet his arm.

"Think nothing of it." Giovanni said, walking into the room with Persian. "I'm just glad that your all right."

Ash smiled, "well, thank you so much." He yawned. "I wanna sleep now.."

Delia nodded, kissing Ash's forehead. "Of course honey." Pikachu snuggled close to Ash as Persian lay on the floor beside the bed.

"G'night." Ash said, laying his head down and falling asleep.

* * *

Ash's wounds were healed after weeks of staying within the confines of the house. He met Giovanni's Pokemon, taking a liking to his Ryhorn.

Ash would ride on the back of Rhyhorn, through Pallet. Giovanni was strict with this, only letting Rhyhorn go so fast with the recovering boy.

Ash took Giovanni and his mother to Oak's lab, introducing them to his pokemon.

Giovanni took a liking to Ash's Tauros herd. Even offering to trade one of them for an Pokemon of Ash's choosing.

"A Tauros for your Ryhorn." Ash said, considering it fair.

Giovanni nodded. "That's fair."

After trading the pokemon, Ash got his sketchbook back he began to draw.

"I.. I don't want to try to be a Pokemon Master anymore. It just.. It isn't plausible. Elite Champion Red vanished when he tried. And I want to do something more productive-" he looked at his mother. "I want to learn to be a professional artist. I know it's going to be a long time until that happens but I want to make use of my talent."

Delia and Giovanni spoke with him at length about his new goal, telling him he would need to go through years of school. But he said he would deal with it. It was fine with him.

* * *

Ash had had a long way to go, he had to start from the first year of the lowest grade and move up to finishing school. Today was the day, nine years later.

Why did it take so long? Ash had some time struggling. But he had made it. In his cap and gown with his mother and stepfather standing with him to get pictures. He smiled in them, showing off his diploma, his friends showing up too to celebrate. At some point he had snuck off to spend some alone time with Lara Laramie, who he had gotten in touch with over the years, going to her ranch for vacation and giving her some of his Tauros to replace those from her family's herd that died out from various causes.

He and her had been inseparable for a few months afterwards, because he had moved out to the ranch with her. He and his pokemon helped out on the farm when he wasn't working on his paintings or helping around the house.

* * *

After a few years Ash and Lara came back to Pallet town to visit Giovanni and Delia, with a toddler in tow and a fully evolved Raichu. The little boy, named Satoshi, had Laramie's blue hair and Ash's golden eyes.

"Hi! My name's 'atoshi!" He said with his fingers in his mouth."Th's my unc'e 'aichu!" His drool covered hand smacked Raichu's face.

"Raichuuuu..." He groaned as Satoshi's slobber got in his mouth. He loved the child, everyone did, but darn it! They just had this same thing happen yesterday!

Delia and Giovanni loved the little boy, and he loved them and his parents.

* * *

I know the ending is rushed, but I'm out of ideas for this. Thanks for reading the story. Also Ash/Lara is my OTP.


End file.
